Werewolves
Werewolves in general An innocent-looking human by day, a werewolf changes by night into a terrifying wolfish beast. It attacks victims with vicious claws and fangs, tearing flesh from their bones, or digs up corpses from cemeteries to satisfy its ravenous hunger for human flesh. The belief in werewolves probably grew from the fear of wolves, whose eerie howls can be heard through the night-time forests. Belief in these beasts was particularly strong in medieval Europe, and hundreds of innocent people were horribly executed by fearful mobs whom believed that the victim was a werewolf. Some people admitted to being a werewolf and confessed their "crimes" - in reality, these people were suffering from a madness/disease known as Lycanthropy. Werewolf forms Werewolves are mythical creatures which are featured in a wide range of stories around the world. A werewolf is described in many different forms, such as a normal wolf, a wolf/man hybrid creature, a big, dog-like beast with slobbering jaws and many more strange and terrifying forms. Where do they come from? Werewolf legends arose in many parts of Europe, Asia and North America, which are all inhabited by real wolves. The forests of France inspired the most stories: 30,000 cases were reported between 1520 and 1630. Transformation A werewolf is a normal human to the naked eye, however, there is a dark transformation that takes place every full moon. 1: As the full moon rises into the sky and moonbeams strike his body, a man is racked with sudden pain: the curse has been activated. 2: A terrifying change takes place. His jaws stretch, his teeth enlarge into fangs, and fur breaks through his skin. He scrabbles wildly at his clothing with sharp, glinting claws. 3: The ravenous beast starts a brutal hunt. He can choose to dig up rotting bodies from the cemetery, or hunt down an unfortunate soul. 4: By dawn, the werewolf has turned back into a man and lies exhausted in the cemetery, blissfully unaware of his earlier crimes. The curse So, to become a werewolf you have to be bitten by another werewolf, or exchange DNA. Doing so will cast an unbreakable curse on you, which can only be contained by being shot by a silver bullet. The curse causes you to painfully transform into a wolf at every full moon. However, you cannot tell anyone your secret! They would shoot you out of fear. You must hide this transformation and keep away from civilization to prevent your inner wolf taking control. In some stories, the werewolf can control him/herself, however, sometimes they are known to loose their minds and go on a bloodthirsty hunt, tearing apart any living thing they see. Unfortunately, once you are a werewolf you will stay like that until you are shot with a silver bullet. Some theories suggest that werewolves only die when shot, and if they aren't they will continue their brutal hunts at every full moon. Did you know? * In medieval Europe, people were regularly tried for being werewolves. One of the last convictions took place in 1720 in Slazburg, Austria. * Many people believed that werewolves disguised themselves by hiding their fur inside their bodies. Suspects were often torn apart as prosecutors searched for evidence. * Folk stories from around the world tell of people who change into tigers, leopards, hyenas, bears and pigs, depending which part of the world you come from. * In Europe folklore, werewolves sometimes turn into vampires as they die, continuing their reign of terror. Category:Fact pages